The State of New Jersey has a number of renowned amusement parks. While amusement parks are popular family recreational facilities that attract millions of patrons each and every year, unfortunately, sometimes injuries occur while people are visiting. Some of the most popular amusement parks in New Jersey include the following:
- Clementon Amusement Park (Clementon, NJ)
- Wild West City (Stanhope, NJ)
- Eagleswood Amusement Park (Staffordville, NJ)
- Black Beard's Cave (Bayville, NJ)
- Playland's Castaway's Cove (Ocean City, NJ)
- Land of Make Believe (Hope, NJ)
- Gillian's Wonderland Pier (Ocean City, NJ)
- Bowcraft Amusement Park (Scotch Plains, NJ)
- Fantasy Island (Beach Haven, NJ)
- Morey's Pier (Wildwood, NJ)
- Keansburg Amusement Park (Keansburg, NJ)
- Steel Pier (Atlantic City, NJ)
- Storybook Land (Egg Harbor Township, NJ)
- Funtown Pier (Seaside Park, NJ)
- The Fun Plex (East Hanover, NJ)
- The Fun Plex (Mount Laurel, NJ)
- Funtime America (Cliffwood Beach, NJ)
- I Play America (Freehold, NJ)
- Jenkinson's (Point Pleasant Beach, NJ)
- Six Flags Great Adventure (Jackson, NJ)
Amusement parks owe a duty of care to the public to ensure that the rides are safe and that nothing happens to the individuals when riding. The duty of care imposed on an operative amusement park is similar to any other public transportation system such as a bus or subway. Often times, amusement park accidents are caused by defective equipment or negligent operation of the attraction.
Most Common Causes for Amusement Park Personal Injuries
Between 1990 and 2000, approximately 82,000 children under the age of 18 were taken to emergency rooms after suffering injuries from amusement park rides. Girls were injured more often than boys and the most frequent types of injuries were to the head, neck, arms, face and legs. Most of the injuries were caused by improper restraints or padding or were caused by the rider falling in, off or against the ride. The amusement park injuries are commonly caused by mechanical failure of the ride, such as a lap bar detaching or a structural component breaking, the ride itself may be overly dangerous, or the injury may be caused by the negligence of an employee working at the amusement park. Sometimes injuries occur at amusement parks while visitors ride transportation provided by the park, such as a monorail, bus, chairlift or gondola.
In the event that you suffer an injury at an amusement park in New Jersey, it is extremely important that you immediately document the scene of the accident. This is important, as the dangerous condition will be immediately repaired or cleaned up subsequent to you leaving the scene of the injury. If at all possible, it would be extremely helpful if you were able to obtain the contact information of any witnesses to the accident.
Speak with a Personal Injury Attorney Before Issuing a Statement
While at the scene where your accident occurred, personnel from the amusement park will often ask you for a statement of what happened. It is recommended that you do not provide the representative of the amusement park with either a written or recorded statement. Be forewarned that any information you provide to them will be used by them to their benefit in the event of a filing of a lawsuit. Subsequent to the accident, you may receive correspondence from the insurance company on behalf of the amusement park asking for you to contact them. Once again, it is strongly recommended that you speak with an experienced amusement park personal injury lawyer prior to speaking to any representatives on behalf of the amusement park.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. What should I do immediately after an accident at an amusement park?
If you or a loved one experiences an injury, your priority is medical attention. Most parks have first-aid stations, but for serious amusement park accidents, you should seek an independent evaluation at an emergency room to ensure a neutral medical record. Crucially, you should report the incident to park management before leaving. Under New Jersey's Carnival-Amusement Rides Safety Act, a rider must provide written notice of an injury to the park operator within 90 days of the incident. Failure to provide this notice can jeopardize your right to file a future claim.
2. Who is held liable for amusement park injuries?
Liability depends on the cause of the accident. In many cases, the park owner is responsible under "premises liability" if they failed to maintain the grounds or properly train staff. However, if the injury was caused by a mechanical failure or a design flaw, the manufacturer of the ride may be held liable through a product liability claim. As of 2026, New Jersey courts are also looking closely at digital maintenance logs and automated safety sensors to determine if a park overrode safety protocols to keep a ride operational.
3. Can I still sue if I signed a waiver or the ticket has a "disclaimer" on it?
Yes. While many parks print disclaimers on tickets or require waivers for high-thrill attractions, these do not give the park a "license to be negligent." In New Jersey, a waiver generally cannot protect a business from "gross negligence" or reckless behavior. For example, if a ride operator ignored a safety warning or if the park failed to perform state-mandated inspections, a disclaimer will likely not hold up in court. A personal injury lawyer can help challenge these waivers by proving the park failed its basic duty of care.
4. How does New Jersey regulate the safety of carnival and theme park rides?
New Jersey has some of the strictest oversight in the country. The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) is responsible for inspecting all "amusement-carnival" rides. In 2026, new regulations require enhanced daily inspections for "high-dynamic" rides (those with extreme speeds or drops). If your injury occurred on a ride that skipped a mandatory inspection or had a known history of mechanical issues, this can serve as powerful evidence in your case.
5. Can I be held at fault for my own injury?
New Jersey follows a "comparative negligence" rule. If you contributed to your injury—for example, by standing up while the ride was in motion, ignoring height requirements, or unbuckling a restraint—your total compensation may be reduced. However, as long as the park is more than 50% at fault, you can still recover damages. An experienced attorney will work to show that the park's failure was the primary cause of the amusement park injuries.
Personal Injury Attorneys Serving the Jersey Shore
The personal injury lawyers at Villani & DeLuca, P.C. have years of experience in handling personal injury cases in New Jersey. In the unfortunate event that you get injured in an accident at a New Jersey amusement park, please call our NJ Amusement Park Injury Law Firm to arrange for your free consultation. The New Jersey lawyers at Villani & DeLuca, P.C. will work with safety experts and investigators to determine the cause of your accident which took place at an amusement park.
Through the joint efforts of our attorneys, experts and investigators, we can bring to light possible errors, such as malfunctioning motors, failed safety belts, poor maintenance or improper supervision by the ride attendant, in order to ensure that your claim is pursued professionally. We will work hard to provide you with the best possible chance of receiving recovery that you deserve as a result of the injury that you sustained. Please call today to schedule your free consultation with an experienced NJ Amusement Park Injury Lawyer at Villani & DeLuca, P.C.